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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25640464">prepare for trouble (and make it double)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chahakyn/pseuds/chahakyn'>chahakyn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Two Archivists, Archivist Jonathan Sims, Archivist Sasha James, Crack, F/M, M/M, Set during S1, Tim and Martin: Expert Archival Assistants and Cat Herders, Weird Cat Energy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:33:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25640464</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chahakyn/pseuds/chahakyn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The trials and tribulations of having two Archivists at the Magnus Institute.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas, Martin Blackwood &amp; Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sasha James &amp; Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James/Tim Stoker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>400</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>prepare for trouble (and make it double)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>inspired by <a href="https://tolbyccian.tumblr.com/post/625218025625452544/tolbyccian-more-cardigan-than-archivist-im"> this lovely art </a> and the <a href="https://tolbyccian.tumblr.com/post/625177389344997376/god-i-just-cant-get-over-the-mental-image-of-the"> ensuing ideas </a> that followed from <a href="https://tolbyccian.tumblr.com"> jaya </a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>Two</em> Archivists??” Martin nearly shrieks, fingers gripping the sleeves of his cardigan. First day down in the Archives after being moved from the library, after having discovered his new boss is endearingly attractive, and now he has to answer to not one, but <em>two</em> different bosses day-to-day? Things <em>cannot</em> get any worse than this.</p><p>“It’s what Gertrude would have wanted.” Elias’s smile is more akin to a grimace. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to be getting to.” Elias turns on his heel and swiftly exits the room, leaving Martin gaping at Tim.</p><p>“Two Archivists,” Martin echoes dismally, flopping down into his newly assigned chair. It’s very uncomfortable.</p><p>“Yeah. Well,” Tim brightens a bit, “at least it’s Sasha! She’ll be a good boss. Dunno about Jon, though.”</p><p>Martin groans, burying his head in his hands. “Yeah. Sure.”</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>Martin scratches his head as he pours over a fresh set of documents. Jon turning the Archives into the Research Department 2.0 has not been easy for Martin, and he’s spent the last few weeks scrambling to keep up with the sky-high expectations that everyone seems to have of him. And there’s no way he’s going to let anyone down by asking them to ease off; hence, the late nights.</p><p>There’s a sudden crash from a couple doors down. Martin frowns, looking up nervously. Probably…Document Storage, judging by its volume?</p><p>“Tim?” Martin calls out, unsettled by the silence that follows. He whips out his phone, sending a quick text.</p><p>
  <em>10:27 P.M.</em>
</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: still at the archives?</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: no?</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: r u?</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: its late, u should go home</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: cheers, will do</p><p> </p><p>Martin puts down his phone, jumping as he hears another loud noise. His eyes scan the room desperately for something to defend himself with. It could be an intruder out there. And intruder who…wants to steal boxes full of dusty records of people’s hysterical statements. It could be possible?</p><p>He eventually decides on the 3-hole-puncher (it packs a punch when wielded right) and walks quietly down the hall, making sure to turn all the lights on as he sees that the Document Storage door is just slightly ajar. Martin slowly nudges the door open with his foot, letting light filter into the dark room as he sends a silent prayer up to any higher being available that it’s not an intruder, that the noise was just a few precariously balanced boxes letting gravity get to them—</p><p>Two glowing sets of eyes swivel towards Martin as he steps into the room.</p><p>“<em>GAH</em>!” Martin screams, dropping the hole puncher and scrambling for the light. His fingers find the switch and the room is quickly awash with the dim, muted yellow light.</p><p>“M—Martin?” Jon blinks up at Martin from the floor, shielding his eyes from the sudden influx of lighting.</p><p>“Christ, you <em>scared</em> me,” Martin hisses, surveying the scene before him. Jon and Sasha sit on the cold floor, statements spread all around them in an odd halo of old paper and tapes. Sasha gives Martin a small wave and a smile from next to Jon. The tape recorder behind them runs, silently observing the whole affair.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“Archiving things,” Sasha says primly, tucking her legs under her as she shifts, careful not the disturb the statements around her.</p><p>“I didn’t know archiving things could be so…messy,” Martin replies slowly as he blinks in disbelief.</p><p>Sasha laughs. “It’s a process.” Jon nods, shuffling some papers aimlessly. He looks nearly like a small child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Martin sighs, stooping down to pick up the hole puncher before fiddling with it.</p><p>“Well, I’m going to, uh, go home then?”</p><p>“Sounds good, good night!” Sasha chirps, Jon echoing her words. Martin turns, door almost closed behind him before he pauses, glancing over his shoulder.</p><p>“Lights on or off?”</p><p>“Off, please,” Jon answers, giving Martin a small wave as he flicks the switch. The last thing he sees before he shuts the door gently behind him are two pairs of eyes, glowing gently in the pitch black of the room.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely not,” Martin yelps, snatching a small stack of papers from Sasha’s hands. “That’s your third statement today, you need a <em>break</em>.” Sasha makes a face, trying desperately to grab the statement from Martin’s hands.</p><p>“Martin—"</p><p>“I’ll make you tea,” Martin interrupts, eyeing Sasha warily. She tilts her head, giving him a look.</p><p>“With honey?”</p><p>Martin gives a relieved laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “When do I not?”</p><p>“Fair!” Sasha leaps out of her chair, efforts to grab the statement all abandoned. “Lead the way.”</p><p>Martin takes everyone’s mugs out of the cabinet as the kettle boils; if one person gets tea, might as well make some for everybody. Sasha watches him from where she’s perched on the counter, legs swinging as she hums absentmindedly to herself.</p><p>“If you tap the spoon against Jon’s cup while you stir, I’ll bet you can get him to take a break too,” Sasha says as Martin ladles everyone’s preferred additions in. She gives him a sly look when he turns to look at her.</p><p>“Honestly?”</p><p>Sasha nods. Martin shrugs and deliberately lets the metal spoon tap against ceramic as he stirs, maintaining eye contact with her the whole while.</p><p>“Are you only telling me that so Jon will distract me while you get back to your statements?”</p><p>“Martin, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” Sasha declares airily, giving Martin a winning smile as she hops off the counter and grabs her mug, cradling it in hand. Jon brushes past her as she leaves, a hopeful expression on his face.</p><p>“Tea?”</p><p>Martin nods, wordlessly holding out the mug. Sasha may have escaped for now, but this knowledge is worth the trade.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>“Put the tape recorder <em>down</em>,” Tim growls, stabbing his finger at Jon.</p><p>“<em>No</em>,” Jon hisses, eyes narrowed in suspicion.</p><p>“Do it, or I’ll…” Tim stretches his hand out towards Martin, fingers beckoning. Martin dives for Tim’s desk drawer, fumbling for a few moments before he emerges with a triumphant noise, placing a spray bottle full of water in Tim’s waiting hand.</p><p>“Or I’ll spray you, boss.” Tim grins, clenching the neck of the bottle in a threatening way. “And I don’t care what documents get in my way as I do so.”</p><p>“You <em>wouldn’t</em>.”</p><p>“No, Tim!” Sasha wraps her arms around Tim’s shoulders, jolting him backwards. “Don’t do it!”</p><p>“Sash…” Tim struggles valiantly against Sasha’s weight, still managing to stalk forward towards Jon with the spray bottle cocked in his hand. Jon moves behind his desk, tape recorder tucked in his arms as he gives Tim a nasty glare that has Martin recoiling in his seat. But Tim is undeterred, advancing towards Jon with every hard-earned step as Sasha drags herself behind him, desperately trying to slow him down.</p><p>There’s a sudden knock on the door to Jon’s office; everyone freezes in place as the door opens and Elias steps in, somehow completely unsurprised by the image before him.</p><p>“No water damage to the documents, please.” He gives the spray bottle in Tim’s hand a pointed look before exiting as swiftly as he had come. Martin turns to give Tim a confused look and Tim shrugs back, eyebrows raising. Jon takes this distraction as an opportunity, quickly lunging at Tim and snatching the bottle from his grip. He gives a breathless laugh before stumbling out the door and sprinting down the hall.</p><p>“You bastard!” Tim yells after him, gently prying Sasha off of him before chasing after Jon, yelling obscenities all the while. Martin looks down and carefully picks up the tape recorder from where Jon left it on the desk. It’s still running. He looks back up at Sasha, who shrugs.</p><p>“I was going to read a statement, if you wanted to listen. I think it’s got some poetry in it.”</p><p>Martin sighs, looking down at the tape recorder in his hands before handing it carefully to Sasha. “Sure, why not?”</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>“Now, what’s this all about?” Elias raises a brow, looking up at Martin and Tim looming over his desk.</p><p>“We demand a raise—" Tim begins, but Martin frantically flaps his hands, cutting Tim off.</p><p>“Or more support. Like another assistant?”</p><p>Elias tilts his head, gaze oddly intense. “On what grounds?”</p><p>Tim throws his hands in the air. “You cannot <em>begin</em> to understand the pain of dealing with two Archivists. We need more help.”</p><p>Elias gives him a pained smile. “I assure you, I understand your pain.”</p><p>“And what’s <em>that</em> supposed to mean?</p><p>“I refuse to answer that question,” Elias replies pleasantly, folding his hands together. “I can only say that I am well-aware of your efforts, and that they do not go unnoticed.”</p><p>“How can you be ‘aware of our efforts’ if you never come to see what we’re doing?” Tim drawls, fingers sketching quotation marks around his words. Martin nods insistently next to him, glasses sliding down his nose a little.</p><p>“No need to worry about that. I assure you, your efforts are appreciated and, if all goes well, the Archival team should have some additions fairly soon.” Elias stands and adjusts the cuffs of his dress shirt.</p><p>“Now, I’d appreciate it if you could vacate my office. I have a very important meeting with Peter Lukas.” And with that, the pair are ushered out of Elias’s office in quick order, the door clicking shut behind them with a firm air of finality.</p><p>“Better than expected, honestly.” Tim shrugs, Martin nodding in agreement.</p><p>“New people on the team? Wonder when we’ll meet them.”</p><p>Tim snorts, waving his hand. “Knowing Elias, probably the day after they get hired.”</p><p>Martin sighs. “Brilliant.”</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>“Jon?” Martin pokes his head into Jon’s office, inquiry met with the sight of Sasha sitting on the edge of Jon’s desk and Jon leaning back in his chair, both perfectly still. They stare intently at one another, their silence only broken every few moments by an amused noise or a stifled giggle. Martin’s stumbled upon this scene before, and he now knows that if he looks a little closer, he can see the array of small, glowing eyes around both Archivists’ heads, blinking in and out of existence as the two communicate in ways unbeknownst to normal people. Not that Martin and Tim are <em>normal</em>, by any means. But Sasha and Jon are different, and while that fact normally warms his heart with how close the four of them have become, Martin <em>really</em> needs Jon to come take this distraught person off his hands.</p><p>“Jon, there’s someone here to make a statement,” Martin tries again, a little louder this time. Neither acknowledge that they’ve heard his words, still intently focused on their silent conversation. Sasha’s eyes widen as she brings her hand to her mouth, looking at Jon with a delighted expression crossing her face.</p><p>Martin throws his arms into the air. “Sasha, Jon, <em>really</em>?” Still no response.</p><p>“What are they up to now?” Tim pipes up, strolling in behind Martin and resting his chin on Martin’s head.</p><p>“They’re gossiping,” Martin says, rolling his eyes. Tim surveys the scene and nods wisely, patting Martin’s shoulder.</p><p>“Bosses gotta have their fun time too.”</p><p>“Yes, but there’s someone here to make a statement!” Martin says frantically. Tim nods again, straightening.</p><p>“Jon’s turn to take care of them?”</p><p>“Yes, can you…” Martin trails off, gesturing helplessly towards the pair. Pulling Jon out of the silent conversations he and Sasha have isn’t hard, but it tends to put Jon in a mood after if Martin isn’t careful. Overall, it’s safer that Tim interrupts the whole affair to whisk Sasha away.</p><p>Tim smiles warmly. “’Course, I gotchu.” He steps forward and rests a gentle hand on Sasha’s shoulder, murmuring in her ear before kissing her cheek. Sasha blinks a few times, before looking up at Tim with a disgruntled expression.</p><p>“<em>Tim</em>, Jon was just getting to the good part.”</p><p>“Later, I promise, there’s someone who needs to give a statement.”</p><p>“Oh, of course. Sorry Martin,” Sasha wiggles her fingers at him before Tim herds her out of the room, leaving Jon sitting in his seat and Martin in the doorway. Jon looks up almost blearily, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.</p><p>“Sorry about that.”</p><p>Martin smiles despite himself, shaking his head. “All good. I can bring them in now, if you’d like?”</p><p>“I suppose so.” Martin nods at this and turns to leave.</p><p>“Wait,” Jon blurts out, hand stretching out as if to catch Martin’s shoulder despite the distance between them; it falls quickly back onto his desk.</p><p>“Would you… like to go out and grab a bite to eat after this? To—to make up for it? My treat,” Jon says haltingly, eyes trained on the papers in front of him. Martin blinks, cheeks flushing pink as he absorbs Jon’s words.</p><p>“Oh! Oh, I…yes, yes of—of course! I’d love to.”</p><p>Jon looks up, embarrassed but looking just a little proud. “I look forward to it.”</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>11:48 A.M.</em>
</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: hey did any of you see peter lukas about?</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: no y</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: elias seemed to be looking for him</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: just got out of a meeting with him and he sounded antsy</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: wonder why</p><p><strong>Sasha</strong>: Probably because they have important couple things to discuss</p><p><strong>Sasha</strong>: They’re married</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: WAT</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: WHAT</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: I THOUGHT ELIAS WAS MARRIED TO HIS WORK</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: HIS PAPERWORK</p><p><strong>Jon</strong>: The Lukas Foundation funds much of the Institute’s research, so I suppose his relationship with Peter Lucas could fall under “work”.</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: YOU KNEW?????</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: YOU BOTH KNEW AND YOU DIDN’T THINK TO TELL US??</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: BETRAYAL</p><p><strong>Jon</strong>: It was sort of obvious?</p><p><strong>Sasha</strong> <em>is typing…</em></p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: BETRAYAL</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: MARTIN</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: MARTIN WE R GETTING LUNCH W/O THESE TRAITORS</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: MEET ME OUTSIDE BREAK ROOM WE R LEAVING</p><p><strong>Sasha</strong> <em>is typing…</em></p><p><strong>Jon</strong> <em>is typing</em>…</p><p>
  <em>Several people are typing…</em>
</p><p><strong>Jon</strong>: Could you bring back a sandwich or something light for me please?</p><p><strong>Sasha</strong>: ^^^</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: no</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: absolutely not</p><p><strong>Martin</strong>: veggies for jon, turkey for sasha?</p><p><strong>Jon</strong>: Please and thank you.</p><p><strong>Sasha</strong>: Love you ♡</p><p><strong>Tim</strong>: martin how could u</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>It’s another late night at the archives when a rather violent crash sounds from Document Storage. Martin and Tim immediately throw out their hands for rock, papers, scissors, not even bothering to glance at each other to confirm the other was following suit. A heartbeat later, Martin hears Tim groan and looks up with a smile, observing his own spread-eagled fingers as opposed to Tim’s hand curled into a fist.</p><p>“Tell me if they’ve broken anything, yeah?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah.” Tim waves his hand, extracting himself from his chair and slouching down the hall. Martin immediately tunes everything out once he steps out the door, continuing his perusal of statements. Jon had asked him to brainstorm some more intuitive ways to categorize statements, and while Martin knows he hadn’t meant for it to be a very complex task, Martin can’t help but to try and wrack his brain to impress him with a new and fancy solution. Such is the curse when one of your bosses is your boyfriend and you’re hopelessly in love with him. A shuffle and cough at the door a while later causes Martin to look up, eyes focusing on Tim’s figure silhouetted in the doorway.</p><p>“Everything’s fine, but Sasha wants to know if you have case #0051701 or if you filed it already?”</p><p>Martin nods and begins to dig the file out from the stack taking over his desk. “Had a feeling she’d want to double check.” Tim takes the statement from Martin with a nearly nervous laugh.</p><p>“Don’t go all spooky on me now, telling the future and all.”</p><p>Martin snorts. “Oh, don’t worry. There’s already enough of that around here.”</p><p>“Dating an Archivist, am I right?” Tim says with a laugh and wink. Martin groans, rubbing his temples.</p><p>“You’re telling <em>me</em>.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>double boss! i churned this out in a single day when i was on the clock and should have been answering emails; god i love s1 team and miss them so much</p><p>come find me on <a href="https://shizuoi.tumblr.com/"> tumblr</a> if you want to talk more!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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